Ocampo wants suspects isolated
May 31, 2010
INTERNATIONALCriminal Court Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has called for public and diplomatic support in the execution of arrest warrants issued by the court.
By Vision Reporters
INTERNATIONALCriminal Court Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has called for public and diplomatic support in the execution of arrest warrants issued by the court.
He also wants the severance of non-essential contacts with persons wanted by the court.
In his address to the ICC review conference that opened at Speke Resort Munyonyo yesterday, Ocampo also called for the cutting off of supply networks to such people, and provision of support for arrest operations.
“There is need for consistency. Massive crimes require a careful plan. Certainity that these crimes will be investigated and prosecuted will deter crime and protect the victims,†he said.
“Arrest has become the biggest test for states parties. Some individuals, sought by the court, are enjoying the protection of their own militias. Others are members of governments which shield them from justice,†he added.
He warned that no military commander or top political leader will be beyond the reach of the growing shadow of the ICC that has covered 111 states.
The court, Ocampo noted, has issued 13 arrest warrants and one summons, each of them against top leaders of groups that are alleged to have committed crimes.
He also noted that in terms of crime prevention, armies all over the world are adjusting their operational standards, training and rules of engagement to the Rome Statute.
Ocampo said the goal of the statute was to ensure that impunity of crimes discussed would never happen again.
“We are meeting to ensure that states parties guarantee respect of the rights of victims in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Central African Republic, Darfur, Kenya and elsewhere.
“Victims of atrocities will not be ignored again. It is time to show how the law is implemented.â€
He boasted that the challenges faced by the statute today, were not a product of failure but of success.
ICC President Judge Sang-Hyun Song said the development of the ICC has exceeded expectations.
“When the Rome Statute was adopted in 1998, the most optimistic observers expected it would take decades to enter into force. Yet, more than 60 states ratified the statute in less than four years, bringing it into force,†he said.
INTERNATIONALCriminal Court Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has called for public and diplomatic support in the execution of arrest warrants issued by the court.
He also wants the severance of non-essential contacts with persons wanted by the court.
In his address to the ICC review conference that opened at Speke Resort Munyonyo yesterday, Ocampo also called for the cutting off of supply networks to such people, and provision of support for arrest operations.
“There is need for consistency. Massive crimes require a careful plan. Certainity that these crimes will be investigated and prosecuted will deter crime and protect the victims,†he said.
“Arrest has become the biggest test for states parties. Some individuals, sought by the court, are enjoying the protection of their own militias. Others are members of governments which shield them from justice,†he added.
He warned that no military commander or top political leader will be beyond the reach of the growing shadow of the ICC that has covered 111 states.
The court, Ocampo noted, has issued 13 arrest warrants and one summons, each of them against top leaders of groups that are alleged to have committed crimes.
He also noted that in terms of crime prevention, armies all over the world are adjusting their operational standards, training and rules of engagement to the Rome Statute.
Ocampo said the goal of the statute was to ensure that impunity of crimes discussed would never happen again.
“We are meeting to ensure that states parties guarantee respect of the rights of victims in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Central African Republic, Darfur, Kenya and elsewhere.
“Victims of atrocities will not be ignored again. It is time to show how the law is implemented.â€
He boasted that the challenges faced by the statute today, were not a product of failure but of success.
ICC President Judge Sang-Hyun Song said the development of the ICC has exceeded expectations.
“When the Rome Statute was adopted in 1998, the most optimistic observers expected it would take decades to enter into force. Yet, more than 60 states ratified the statute in less than four years, bringing it into force,†he said.